Deceit
by Rosegalaxia
Summary: In a supernatural world, where vampires and werewolves roam free, Serena finds herself in the position of being wanted by two very powerful, very different men. Will she follow her heart and make the right choice in the matter of love?
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon is not mine.  
  
WARNING: Some strong language.  
  
Story-line: In a supernatural world, where vampires and werewolves roam free, Serena finds herself in the position of being wanted by two very powerful, very different men. Will she follow her heart and make the right choice in the matter of love?   
  
**********  
  
DECEIT   
  
Chapter 1  
  
Rosegalaxia  
  
**********  
  
" I've only known you a short time, Serena."   
  
Andrew turned towards me as we both came to a stop on the edge of the road, waiting for the traffic lights to turn red. He reached for both of my hands and clasped them tightly in his own large ones. His solemn liquid green eyes gazed into my eyes.  
  
" That you have, Andrew." I replied warily, for I could see that Andrew was deadly serious about something. Maybe he wanted to break things off. S***. And maybe I was turning into an insecure little idiot who spent her time wondering if her boyfriend was going to break up with her whenever he was even remotely serious. Double s***. (Excuse my language. I'm not usually like this but as you've probably guessed, I'm sunk in the pool of paranoia at the moment. Bear with me.)  
  
" But time isn't really important when it's right."  
  
I stared at him, amazed. Not what I had expected as you've no doubt guessed from the tirade I had going on earlier. I was, however, not that far enveloped in my own thoughts that I couldn't tell that Andrew expected me to say something reassuring. Me being the typical, light-hearted, 'bunny rabbit' who never knew the right time to be serious, wanted to make a joke to scatter the tension lying thick in the air but I kept my mouth shut. Which, let me tell you, was a brownie point for me.  
  
" I love you Serena." He ran one of his hands through his thick brown hair, nervously.   
  
I softened my expression. He was so nervous- a trait I had never equated with Andrew. I have no idea why he was anxious so don't ask me... okay, okay, I'll tell you. I think it might have something to do with the fact that he knew I usually didn't go in for that soft dreamy style couples in love go for. You know, where they pause at street corners to kiss sweetly. Where, after every five minutes, they stop doing whatever they're doing to gaze into each others eyes and say, I love you honey, I love you bunny bear or something equally ridiculous. Okay. So nicknames are cute. But for God's sake, what's so special about calling some-one honey when three-quarters of the world's English speaking population do the same? Where's the uniqueness gone?  
  
Right. Well. Okay.  
  
There was one thing I could do. Freeing one of my hands, I reached out and brought Andrew's head down to mine. His lips touched mine slowly, hesitantly. I pressed my mouth harder against the smoothness of his mouth. I felt him respond and moved a little closer to him. Umm.  
  
Uh-huh. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. There she is, pausing at street corners, to kiss sweetly, after she's said she thinks it's ridiculous. Let me clear up a few things. We're not at a street corner. And I wasn't kissing him sweetly. I was kissing him passionately. Biiiig difference. And I'm definitely not splitting hairs okay? Okay. Good. Now that we've got that out of the way, we're at the point where my tongue and Andrew's tongue are engaged in the lost art of duelling. Very stimulating though don't try it at home.  
  
After a few seconds, I drew back and smiled encouragingly at him.  
  
" Will you marry me?"  
  
My face froze. My smile froze. Hell, my thoughts froze. Except that small part of my brain where hurt from the past still lurked. Suddenly I was remembering the time somebody else had asked me that same question.   
  
I had been ecstatic, over the moon. I had agreed then and suffered incredible heart-ache. Though I prefer to call it temporary loss of sanity now. I mean, there was me, heart broken over a guy who was still under his pa-pa's wing. A guy who didn't love me at all because he let his family talk him out of our relationship because of my, get this, 'status in the world'. I mean come on. Nobody went round spouting that sort of rubbish anymore. Though to be honest, the family was from another era. Like the middle ages. Hahahaha. Bet you're thinking I'm funny right? Well, no. I mean I am, but I'm not joking in this instance. The whole family were vampires. From the middle ages.   
  
So, if I could agree to spend the rest of my life with a vampire (in other words, a dead guy) then surely the man I had loved could have spent about fifty years from his eternal life with a girl who shopped at chain stories and wore paste jewellery. Really. As long as I worked hard and honestly did it matter how much money I had in my bank account? No. But apparently it did to them.   
  
So I guess my answer had to be no even though I think I do love Andrew. And I want to say yes. Really I do. Darien G'Weillier was obviously not worthy of anybody's love and to let his refusal influence the rest of my life was something that I couldn't let happen. However, there were other factors here. I mean, If I forget the whole thing about Andrew getting majorly hairy once a month and the thing about him being an Alpha male in his pack, well, I'm first in line to be the future Mrs Andrew Marcane. Make way for the bride with the low status in the world.  
  
But I can't. I don't want to risk it. And that does not mean I'm a coward okay? It's just that I'm cautious. Part of the reason why I'm alive today. So no it will be.  
  
" Yes!"  
  
------------------------------  
  
" Look. I'm hungry, I'm tired and it's the middle of the night. Let me get in!"  
  
" No."  
  
I closed my eyes. I was at my office, trying to get in to talk to a certain somebody. Confused? Yeah me too.   
  
I had said yes. However, now I had to tell Darien G'Weillier. Huh? Yeah. My reaction exactly when Andrew proposed the plan. His reasoning is that I should tell Darien, since... he's my boss. Yep. He's my boss. The leader. The big guy at the office where I work and do little things which suit my low status in this world. (You can tell that comment reaaally bugged me.) So why am I working for the creep who caused me that much pain? Well, I don't really know. It hadn't really started out that way. I had only found out last week, after a surprise takeover, who my new boss was.   
  
Anyway, Andrew and I had been engaged for two weeks now. We've planned the initial wedding schedule already and I had to get the required time off before somebody else did. So you see, that's why I was trying to see Darien. Trying being the main word. And so far I wasn't succeeding. The blonde vampire wanted me to give her my cross. But trust me, that would have been suicide. Imagine me without any protection with a powerful vampire who is prone to rages whenever something happens which is against his 'wishes'. Methinks this is a smart plan. Me thinks me's right. Me knows me's right.  
  
" What's your name?"  
  
The vamp, somehow it didn't seem- I don't know- correct to call her blondie. That's such a human word and vampires are not humans. No matter what people say. Anyway, the vamp gave me a bored look as if she was tired of the world, and especially tired of me. " Carla."  
  
I smiled at her. Not a pleasant smile. Duh! Me smile at a vampire? Especially a female? That was a serious no-no (and I'm not being a bitch). It was more of a I-don't-care-what-you-think-'cause-you're-beneath-my-notice kind of smile. I'm getting really good at giving those kind of smiles out. I think I deserve a medal.  
  
" Well, Carla. Do you know who I am?"  
  
She eyed me from the tops of my messy hair to the tips of my scuffed shoes. Okay, so I didn't look my best. But did she have to give me such a disdainful look? And did I care?  
  
" Apparently you're no-one special or I'd have heard of you."  
  
Huh? Ohh. Low blow. Bet you're thinking, what Serena doing? Why doesn't she just show some identification. Well, I would. Except that I didn't have any on me. I'd left my card at Andrew's house. And what was I doing at Andrew's house so late in the night? I think you can guess without me having to tell you. The sweat dear needed some reassuring after he found out exactly who my boss was and who he had been to me. Had been. Wasn't now. Will never be again.  
  
" I'm Serena Darth. I work here."  
  
She smirked at me. " Yeah. I'm Marie Antoinette, doing a little guard duty."  
  
I sighed. God, I really wasn't in the mood for this now. I really- " Robin!" I eagerly waved at the red-headed man just coming out of the office blocks.   
  
He spotted me and grinned. " Serena. What are you doing out here, in the cold?"  
  
I pasted the most pathetic look on my face and shivered delicately. " Well, I would come in except that..." I gestured towards Carla and sniffed as if holding back tears.  
  
Robin's face got all sympathetic towards me and angry towards her. Ha ha. He cuffed her on the back of her head. " Don't you even know when some-one's telling you the truth? I thought I'd taught you better than that."  
  
Yep. Robin was a vamp as well. He was the one who had made Carla though I didn't want to dwell too much on that side of things.  
  
Carla's face fell from the rebuttal she had just received from her master. " You can go in."  
  
I managed a watery smile and as I passed her, I nodded at her. It was the least I could do. You know what? I was actually feeling sorry for her. I think I must be getting soft in my old age. Or maybe it was because I was tired. I'll never know. But either way, don't tell any-one.   
  
I smiled as I stepped inside the building block and Robin put a reassuring arm around me. Wow! I had surpassed even my own expectations of my acting abilities. Now I know that I truly did deserve the OSCAR I had won... you know, the OSCAR I win every night in my dreams? Yeah, that OSCAR.  
  
Bringing myself back away from my thoughts, I waved again at Robin as he headed outside again. Now all I had to do was go in, find Darien, talk to him and try to make him not kill Andrew. (Darien had developed a possessive attitude towards me ever since he had come here. Don't know why since he had dumped me.) Anyway, what I had to do was as easy as pie. After that, I'll be able to go home. Go to bed. And get some well deserved sleep. Won't take long at all... any-one wanna swap places?  
  
I took a deep breath as I entered the vampire's office. The phrase 'come into my lair, said the spider to the fly' would really work here wouldn't it?  
  
" Mia Serena! To what do I owe this pleasure?"  
  
I ignored him for a moment. Avoid a situation for as long as possible, is my motto.   
  
I decided that I was going to have to handle Darien delicately. I should broach the subject subtly and cautiously.  
  
" To the fact that I'm engaged to Andrew Marcane and there's nothing you can do about it."  
  
**********  
  
This is a new fic and I'm just testing the waters. If I get a satisfactory amount of response, then I'll continue.  
  
Rosegalaxia  
  
rosegalaxia@yahoo.com 


	2. Chapter 2

Story-line: In a supernatural world, where vampires and werewolves roam free, Serena finds herself in the position of being wanted by two very powerful, very different men. Will she follow her heart and make the right choice in the matter of love?   
  
**********  
  
DECEIT   
  
Chapter 2  
  
Rosegalaxia  
  
**********  
  
So much for subtlety and tact. I was busted. Any second now, Darien was going to jump up and his eyes would flash as he let loose his temper... I waited with bated breath and felt a little foolish when Darien didn't do anything but stay sitting and stare at me. Calmly. Not angrily. Disappointed? Who me?  
  
" Well?"  
  
" Normally, I would congratulate you Serena. But I think we both agree that these aren't normal circumstances."  
  
I braced my hands on the back of the chair in front of me. " I haven't come to be congratulated. I wanted to tell you that I will be having some time off."  
  
He bared his teeth in a smile. " How considerate of you. But perhaps you have forgotten the contract you signed at the beginning of your employment here. It stated that you can only have three weeks off in six months. You have had your three weeks off for the current six months."  
  
I sighed. It wasn't going to be easy- it never was with him. " I realise that but as you said, these aren't normal circumstances. I'm getting married and I need at least two weeks off for the honeymoon. Couldn't I take the weeks off from my next six months?"  
  
" I'm sorry." He shook his head and managed to look remorseful, the smug bastard. " But the terms of a signed contract are unbreakable."  
  
I ignored what he had just said. After all, the contract didn't really matter. I mean, which was more important, my happiness or upholding the law? Me. Yeah, exactly.   
  
I leaned forward and smirked. " You know what your problem is?"  
  
He threw a bored look my way. " Enlighten me."  
  
" You're jealous." I smiled.  
  
He raised his brow as if that couldn't possibly be. As if I had nothing about me to make others jealous.   
  
" I, jealous of you? I assure you Serena, you are mistaken."  
  
See? Told you. I repeat, the smug bastard.  
  
I gritted my teeth and resisted the urge to leap over the desk separating us and show him just how worthy I was to be envied. The... the... uhhh, (why wasn't the portion of my brain dedicated to the task of coming up with sly remarks working?)... man- oh, excuse me- vampire wouldn't know what hit him. I'd just like to show him how much damage I could do. I just wanted to hurt him sooo much.  
  
Okay. So I think by now you've realised what work the vamp did on me. One year and I still wasn't ready to let go of my hurt. Yeah, yeah, snort all you like, my feelings get hurt too. After all, I was a human, unlike the monster who was in front of me.   
  
Also I really couldn't bodily harm him. (Forget the fact that he outweighed me by, most probably, over a hundred pounds, of which ninety-nine percent was pure muscle). Anyway, violence wasn't the way to go. Attacking your boss did not grant you favours, which is just so unfair! Yeah yeah, so life is unfair. Spare me.  
  
So I'd just have to go the normal way. Be polite. Be reeaally polite. Be so sweetly polite that by the time I was done, all his beautifully white teeth would have rotted and fallen out. It made me so angry the way he kept flashing those pearly whites of his at me. As if I was nothing but an amusement to him.   
  
Back to business. Baiting the boss. Hey! B.t.b. B.t.b. You know, the previous two sentences? No? Well, okay. Forget it.  
  
" You- are- jealous. You're jealous because I got over you. You're jealous because I've found some-one. You're jealous because I'm getting married to that some-one. You're jealous because I'm going to be spending the rest of my life with that some-one. You- are- jealous." Okay. So, maybe I was rubbing it in a little. But geez you know, it had really dented my pride when he said I had nothing about me to make people jealous. Not that I want people to be jealous of me. I mean, come on, that was just petty, yes it was.... but still.  
  
He leaned back in his chair and brought his hands together. " How wrong you are. I have to say, I'm glad that you've found some-one else. I was actually worried about it but it's good to know that you didn't let my rejection turn you into a man-hater."  
  
God! Some-one was filled to the brim with his own sense of self-importance.   
  
I smiled at him, a smile as fake as... as... hmmm, let me think here... oh yeah, a smile as fake as the concept that the earth was the centre of the universe. Great simile huh? " How could I have turned into a man-hater when you're not a man? You're a vampire." I spat the last word out as if it was as poisonous as venom. Wooh, another simile. I've really got it going haven't I?   
  
What? Oh. A little bird's just whispered in my ear that you people are accusing me of something. Of being a speciesist. You know, racist, sexist, speciesist? It's my own word. I made it up and I'm just so proud of it! But anyway, I'm not a speciesist. I mean come on. I'm engaged to a werewolf aren't I? And I was involved with the vampire wasn't I? So no. That stigma doesn't apply to me though people do try to do the very thing. I think it bothers them that I appear to be so perfect. They want to label me with a bad title so as to lessen my appeal to the general public. Hmmm. Well, let them try in vain! I am as perfect as can be... you do know I'm joking don't you?  
  
" Me being a vampire didn't stop you from fucking me."  
  
Oh-hoh-oh. Getting crude are we?  
  
" You being worried about the long-term affects on my psyche didn't stop you from dumping me." I came back at him. Let no-one say that Serena Darth couldn't hold her own.  
  
He tsked. " Are you suggesting that I should have stayed with you even though I didn't want to? Are you saying you would have found it okay to be with me when you knew that I was doing it out of pity?"  
  
My face whitened and my heart gave a sad little thump. He still had the power to hurt me, even after all these years. (Okay, so it was only one year. But it sounds more dramatic if I say 'after all these years' doesn't it?)  
  
I shook my head and decided to do something I very rarely did. Be serious. Be wise. " It would have been okay if you seriously didn't want to be with me. But I have that much self-confidence in myself, that much self-esteem that I know when a man-" He gave me a look. "- a vampire-" I corrected, "- is happy. The sad thing is that you broke up with me, not because you got tired of me-" As if such a thing was possible. "- but because I didn't meet with your family's approval. They didn't think I was 'worthy' enough to be your mate." I looked up at him. " Gotta say Darien, I didn't think you were the kind of vampire who did exactly what his father told him to do. But then, my judgment isn't very stable is it? I misjudged you and I misjudged our relationship."  
  
He was silent as he stared at me out of those dark, stormy blue eyes of his. I gazed at him for a moment before looking away. His eyes. I could never resist them; they had been what first attracted me to him. Not his thick, black, silky, wavy hair. Not his broad, muscled shoulders which seemed capable of shouldering the worries of the world. Not his personality, though to be honest, I haven't really seen much of it as of yet. All we'd done a year ago was fall in bed, against the wall, on the table, in the shower, in the bath, in the swimming pool, in the car, up a tree, in a cave; you name a place, we'd done it there. It had all been based on sex, mind-blowing, amazing, out-of-this world sex.  
  
I breathed in deeply to try and get rid of the ball lodged in my throat. Wouldn't be good if I cried. Wouldn't be good. It'd make me look like a girl and even though I'm proud of my gender, I have no intention of being classified as the weaker sex. No way.   
  
Darien tapped his fingers on the desk. " Today's culture is very different than what it was like six hundred years ago, Serena. Children showed respect to their elders and obeyed their parents. Nowadays..."  
  
He trailed off but I understood. Nowadays, there was no respect left in children. Calling their parents by their first names. Talking back to them. Deliberately disobeying then. Shaming them in front of the world by extreme forms of rebellion. I understood. But...  
  
" You're six hundred years old. Your father would be about twenty years older than you. I don't think it really matters now does it? Besides, choosing a mate is a serious deal for vampires. The bond is for life. I don't really think you're the kind of person who would stay with a woman for eternity, a woman who was chosen by some-one else."  
  
Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up Serena. What was I doing? Why was I digging up the past? Why couldn't I let bygones be bygones? A lot of questions, but I needed to understand. I needed to figure out what had happened. You have no idea- absolutely no idea how crazy I had been about Darien. I didn't think of any-one but him in those days. He had always been there, when not in the flesh, in my mind. I needed to know where everything had gone wrong. I needed answers.  
  
" I realise you need answers Serena."   
  
One of Darien's attributes had to be mind reading. To cheer him or to not to cheer him, that is the question, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, humans and non-humans.  
  
" But..." He paused and leaned forward in his chair. " Why do you want to know now? You have obviously, as you said, got over me and are know engaged. Why would you want to dwell on your time with another man?"  
  
I stayed silent; I didn't like the answer which had popped into my head.  
  
" Could it be that you are wondering whether you have misjudged your love for this Andrew Marcane character?"  
  
Yep. Mind reader.  
  
He carried on. " May I further suggest that the reason you are asking these questions is because you are not sure whether you want to marry him?"  
  
I huffed a breath out incredibly. " Well, of all the..."  
  
God! Could it be true? Was I absolutely sure that I wanted to marry Andrew? I thought about it. There were two things which made me feel as if what Darien had said was what I had been considering.   
  
One, it has been only a year since Darien. Only a year since I had felt his arms around me, since I had shared my warmth with him, since I had loved him and I had thought that I had been loved by him. Only a year. Wasn't it too soon to be thinking of getting married to another man? I hear some of you think, 'yeah, yeah, what's the big deal? She could always divorce him'. I agree but unfortunately or fortunately, however way you want to look at it, I take the thought of marriage seriously. Totally. (Sound familiar?)  
  
I was in two minds. I wanted to and I didn't want to. Andrew made me feel happy. But he was also a monster. And maybe he didn't go round killing people but he was a werewolf. I don't think I could ever forget that.   
  
" I love him."  
  
" I am sure that you do but I can sense that your feelings are not true to the thought that you want to marry Andrew." His gorgeous blue eyes glinted at me. "You still want me."  
  
Colour flooded my cheeks. Ohh God. The man could still make me flush with a look. Even after all I'd done with him. Want details? Tough. They're just too intimate to share. But let me tell you. If you haven't had sex with a vampire like Darien, you haven't had sex. (This doesn't apply to any male readers). " Wanting you has nothing to do with it. Lust is-"  
  
" Lust is everything. That's nature's way of making sure that species survive. But I ask you one thing. How can you be in love with one person and want to make love with another?"  
  
" I told you. Lust is nothing. It can't be helped-"  
  
" That's nonsense. If you've read any romance novels, you'll see that when the heroine is in love with the hero, every other man, no matter how attractive, leaves her cold. That does not seem to be the case here."  
  
Okay. I admit it. He's caught me out here. I'm stumped. Wait a minute. Did I hear right? Did Darien just say...? Yes. He did just say...   
  
A grin slashed across my face. " You read romance novels?"  
  
**********  
  
Not much of a cliff-hanger and admittedly, not very long at all. However, this is a different type of fic from my usual ones and so I'm going to keep it short and see how the response goes.  
  
Another thing. Do you like this type of fic? You know, kind of sarcastic? I was thinking maybe I should write more of these and the chapters would be a lot longer. However, my new fic Mysterious Waters hasn't got a lot of response and so I'm just going to carry on with this fic and leave that one, unless, miraculously I get more reviews. But either way, please review this chapter.  
  
Rosegalaxia  
  
rosegalaxia@yahoo.com 


	3. Chapter 3

Story-line: In a supernatural world, where vampires and werewolves roam free, Serena finds herself in the position of being wanted by two very powerful, very different men. Will she follow her heart and make the right choice in the matter of love?   
  
**********  
  
DECEIT   
  
Chapter 3  
  
Rosegalaxia  
  
**********  
  
He looked embarrassed. And damn right, he had a right to. Men just didn't read those kind of books. They just didn't. Prejudiced, who me?  
  
He now started to look affronted. " Of course not. Men do not read romance novels." Prejudiced, who him? " However, from what I have heard of them, some are interesting. Even as long as two centuries ago, they were the rage among the ladies. I am sure you can understand from that how I know so much about them."  
  
Well, actually I didn't. He knew what was in them because the ladies read them? Why did that sound fishy? Then I felt like hitting myself on the head. A ditzy Serena is not a good Serena. A good Serena is some-one who should have delivered the request and upon receiving the answer, high-tailed it out of there as fast as she could, back to Andrew and his comforting arms. But oh nooo. This Serena just had to stay and listen to Darien play with her mind. Yep. You've guessed it. I'm a sucker for punishment.   
  
" Yeah well, whatever." Clever repartee isn't it? I'm so in awe of my brain powers.  
  
Darien smiled, a quick flash of fangs. That surprised me a little. Except his pale colour, at the moment he looked like any other alive human being. He was a monster. Both men in my life were monsters. And I was ditching one of them, to go play a good little wife to the other. Can any-one see anything wrong with this picture?  
  
" I get the feeling Serena, that you are impatient to be on your way, to go home and comfort yourself in your fiance's arms."  
  
Need I say it again? Oh alright. Miiiind reader.   
  
I stared at Darien and wondered whether I should remain silent or say something. I settled for the first.  
  
" No comment?" He waited for me to say something but when I still kept my mouth shut, he raised a perfectly-shaped black eyebrow. God, it was such a perfect shape that he had to pluck it. " Still nothing Serena? This is not like you. Usually I'm worried about the state of your mouth. It needs a rest now and then."   
  
I took a deep breath but still said nothing. I should really get a prize. However much I don't want to admit it, Darien was right. I always had troubling keeping my mouth shut. I just couldn't do it.   
  
My eyes widened as Darien slowly stood and walked around the desk towards me. He stopped and as colour flooded my cheeks, my eyes focused on the small, visible expanse of chest which was just inches away from my face. He lowered his voice to a husky whisper and my stomach muscles quivered at hearing it. Now was one of those times when I really wished that I was a lesbian and wasn't affected by any of the male species.  
  
" I'm sure you know of the saying 'cat got your tongue?' But I think that in your case, we will have to change it to something more suitable. Like... wolf got your tongue?"  
  
I took a deep breath and as I heard Darien chuckle, I couldn't help myself. I had to say something. I swear, if only he hadn't laughed, nothing would have passed my lips. " Shut the fuck up Darien." I am so glad my mama wasn't here to hear me. But my poor grand-mama must be turning in her grave.   
  
This... rudeness just served to make Darien chuckle even more (and made me look like child. But let's just ignore that ok?). His titter (ok, ok) his gurgle (okaaay) his snigger (happy?) made me even madder. Anger is a great tool. If you're ever embarrassed, think of something maddening and I guarantee you'll forget your embarrassment. If you're feeling guilty, place the blame firmly on some-one else's shoulders and get angry. If your boss starts insulting you, get angry and yell back... oh. Well, maybe not. I mean, if you valued your job.  
  
" Fine. You find this funny?" Something in my tone must have reached Darien because he switched his laughter off as fast as a wink, (si-mi-le! My English teacher would have been so proud! All his hard work finally paid off. I'm actually using literary devices! So ok, I talk to myself when using similes and nobody else hears me, but so what? I know I do). It left his face blank, with no emotion in it. Creepy. He didn't say anything. Creepier. Wonder if it was his turn to play keep-your-mouth-shut. He just calmly stared at me from out of his blue, oh wow, bluuueeee eyes. Creepiest.  
  
I repeated myself, " Ok... ok. It's good that you think all this is funny. It'll make things much easier all round. For everybody. After all, humour is the food for the soul." (I made that saying up. Isn't it absolutely, wonderfully, thrillingly fantastic?) I spun on my heels and threw my final parting line over my shoulder. " Andrew and I will be sure to invite you to the wedding."  
  
I didn't see it. I didn't see him at all. He wasn't there and then he was. He'd just appeared in front of me, blocking the door. I gasped and stumbled back but Darien's hand shot out to grab my arm. I tried to pull away but it didn't work. Evidently, he was using his much superior strength to make me do what he wanted. Men were always men no matter what their life status was. Whether they were dead or alive.   
  
" Let go of me Darien!"  
  
Darien shook his head a little and his arm slowly started pulling me closer to him. I looked into his face and this time it wasn't emotionless. But it was filled with an emotion I could have gone without tonight. Anger. Yeah yeah I know. Anger is a great tool. But not when used against you.  
  
Twin flames of rage were burning in his eyes and I shivered as a blast of icy fury washed over me.  
  
" Darien!" I am very sorry to say that my voice sounded suspiciously like a squeak. But I'm sure that was due to the stress of the moment. My ears must have been malfunctioning because there's so way I would ever squeak! I mean, come on! Whisper, mutter, mumble I could do but squeak? Please! That was a no no. Serious no no. A stern no no. I'm sure you get my point.  
  
He brought his face very close to mine and spoke through barely open lips. " There will be no invitation because there will be no wedding."  
  
I fumbled against my neck for the cross that, thank goodness, I had. But Darien was there before me. He took the cross by the chain and pulled. I heard it snap and as my eyes desperately followed its movement, Darien flung it across his room, where it fell, after thudding against the wall.  
  
Now, need I state it? Do you have to make me say it? Oh alright. I was defenceless. Powerless. Vulnerable. God!  
  
" Darien!"  
  
As soon as the last syllable left my mouth, he spun me around and pressed me against the wall. Darien covered my body with his and I closed my eyes as I felt that familiar sensation that I was started to feel whenever Darien got too close to me. It was shaming that even now, when Darien was so angry, and while I should have been fighting him, I wanted him. Could life get any worse? And as I was about to find out, yes. It could.  
  
" Listen to me Serena. I will let you go now on one condition. And I will let Andrew live on one condition."  
  
I licked my lips and swallowed. What was Darien thinking of now?  
  
" I will allow Andrew to live if you postpone your wedding, dump him and become my mate."  
  
I opened my mouth to tell him to go to hell but he put out a hand to cover my mouth.  
  
" And I will let you go now, if you kiss me."  
  
" What?"  
  
" You heard me. One kiss. Only one kiss is what I ask of you."  
  
I thought about it for a while. I didn't agree with me becoming his mate, wished that, dreamt that, never want to live it, but I was all for going home. And it was only one kiss. What had I to loose?  
  
" One kiss?"  
  
Darien nodded and slowly brought his face closer to mine.  
  
" Only one kiss Serena. No more. No less. One kiss."  
  
I looked at Darien's face. His eyes were bright shining jewels of light. Slowly, slowly, my lips touched his and the world exploded. I always thought how Andrew's were the softest lips I had ever kissed. But Darien definitely took the mark on the most smoothest. The silkiest. And I guess if they were smooth and silky, they were soft.  
  
He brought his hand up to cup my jaw. Angling my head to one side, his tongue traced the line of my closed lips and on a shudder, I let him through. He used his lips, his teeth and his tongue to take me where I shouldn't go but where I wanted to go. With him. Very much.  
  
I brought my hands up and slipped them around his neck. I ran my fingers through the soft strands of his hair just as he ran his tongue on the hard line of my teeth. I moaned and Darien pressed against me harder in response. He bent his knees down a little and made sure that his crotch came in hard contact with mine. His aroused crotch. I arched into him as I felt the long hardness of him.   
  
I was so lost in the taste of him that I didn't hear the office door open. I didn't hear the muttered curses that the person uttered and I barely registered when the door slammed shut. But what I did hear was the tenor of the voice. The very male voice. The very Andrew like voice! And obviously he had seen me. With Darien. In a kiss. In a very heated clinch!  
  
I don't consider myself to be a very serious blasphemer but... oh... my... god!  
  
**********  
  
Review please! I appreciate all types of comments.  
  
Rosegalaxia  
  
rosegalaxia@yahoo.com 


	4. Chapter 4

Story-line: In a supernatural world, where vampires and werewolves roam free, Serena finds herself in the position of being wanted by two very powerful, very different men. Will she follow her heart and make the right choice in the matter of love?   
  
**********  
  
DECEIT   
  
Chapter 4  
  
Rosegalaxia  
  
**********  
  
Ripping my mouth away from Darien's, I stood staring at him with my chest heaving and my lips still pulsing from the possession of his kiss. Perfect picture of a melodramatic heroine from a Victorian film. Film? Book I mean. History is one of the few- very few- things I don't excel at. Don't hold it against me.   
  
I tried to convince myself that maybe the voice hadn't been Andrew's. Maybe my guilty conscious had made me think it was my fiancés. But it didn't work. Especially as I saw a slow smile spread over Darien's mouth. The mouth that I had kissed. The mouth that I had wanted to kiss. The mouth that I still- ok. Forget that line of thought. Onto another one... why was he smiling? And then it suddenly dawned on me.  
  
My hand lifted to aim at the side of Darien's face and I flung it towards him, putting my whole strength behind it. The sharp crack resounded in the room and his face snapped to one side. A large reddish imprint of my hand spread over his pale cheek and as I watched, his smile disappeared and left his face expressionless. Normally I would have flinched at the icy look in his eyes but this wasn't a normal time. As proven by the fact that normally I wouldn't normally have slapped a man. I never do that. I always punch. But, I don't know, I suppose Darien brings out my feminine side.  
  
He had tricked me. He had known that Andrew was coming and he had made me kiss him. I had seen the satisfaction in his eyes after Andrew had slammed out. He had achieved what he had wanted. Trouble between me and Andrew. No man -or woman, I'm giving you no excuse to call me a sexist- would tolerate his or her fiancé locked in a passionate embrace with some-one else. Well, except for, in my humble opinion, the weirdoes who go for open relationships and think nothing of their partner's adultery because they themselves think nothing of cheating.  
  
And let me reassure you that Andrew isn't one of those weirdoes. If I ever found out that he was cheating on me...! What a time to be possessive huh? Anyway, I have to admit it. He had a right to be angry. He had a right to break up with me. But... oh, I didn't want him to. I would miss him too much. Way too much. I love him. (And yes. I'm quite capable of feeling that emotion). Even though I might have been having doubts about the engagement, I loved him. I do. I really really do. I love him... I love him and I'm definitely not trying to convince myself of this as I repeat the phrase over and over again. It's you I'm trying to convince... honest. Really. I'm telling the truth.   
  
" You had a better have a good reason for doing that my love." His voice was cold, at odds with the endearment he had tagged on at the end of the sentence.   
  
His love? Ha!   
  
While I was thinking about what was going to happen next, Darien had been busy getting all self-righteous on me. Well, let me tell you, he wasn't going to get a single drop of sympathy from me. No way. Nop. All my sympathy had already been used up on myself.   
  
" Oh I have. A very good reason." I paused and tried to think of a reason, any reason, never mind a good one... oh, got one! " How could you do this Darien? I know you're sneaky and manipulative but this... don't you have any morals? Any feelings for other people?" Yep. That's me. Little Miss Goody-goody. Always only thinking of others.  
  
He put out a prefect white marble hand up to his cheek and where before he had been warm, human and alive, now he was cold, vampire and dead. Honestly, I could feel the coldness coming off him. It's always amazing, no matter how many times you've seen it, when a vampire changes so quickly from being warm to cold. In this case, practise definitely doesn't make perfect. Believe me I know. I've known vampires a long time. And let me tell you, I've been around them for longer than I wish.  
  
" Do what Serena? I asked that you kiss me if you wanted to leave. I didn't force you. You did it because you wanted to. It is unfortunate for you that your... significant other chose that moment to barge into my office."  
  
I wasn't having any of it. There was no way I was going to admit that Darien could be right. " You knew he was coming. You deliberately made me kiss you-"  
  
Anger suddenly sparked in Darien's eyes. " I did not force you to do anything. You did it because you wanted to."  
  
I was losing my steam. I always do when the other person doesn't shout back. It's an uncontrollable reaction. Most people usually gather more steam when the other person stays calm. But you have to have figured it out by now. I'm not most people. I'm different. Unique. Special. Modest.  
  
" I did it because I had no choice. You forced me." Yeah, that's right. I'm a defenceless, little girl.  
  
God does any-one know what I'm doing? Why was I still here, bantering with him when I should have gone after Andrew? And why am I still here, bantering with him when I've realised that I should go after Andrew?   
  
Darien sighed and looking down at my mutinous face, his face softened. He lowered his voice to a husky murmur and even while I was busy hating him I couldn't help the slight shiver that slashed down my spine.  
  
" You want me Serena. Why do you think that is so wrong? It is a healthy emotion, and as you deny me, you deny yourself."  
  
I didn't say anything. What was there to say? I admit it, he was right. I wanted him. And I deny myself when I don't let us be together. If it wasn't for my stubbornness... it was all my fault- waaaiiit a minute. My fault? Was there peace in the world? No. So it wasn't my fault. How the hell did I think that? He's the one who dumped me. And very publicly and humiliatingly I might add.   
  
I was getting desperate now. I couldn't really leave because he stood in front of the door. There was the window... but since we were ten stories high, I don't think I could have jumped and made my escape safely with all bones intact. So...  
  
" I'm- I'm going to sue you for harassment." Cringe. Did I really say that? My sources tell me I did. But I'm sure they're wrong. I would never say something like that. I'm really not one of those people who sue left and right and for extra measure, sue up and down as well. You know, the kind who sue the theme park for having been made to queue up for 41 minutes when the notice said 40 minutes.  
  
Darien shook his head at me. " Do not talk nonsense my love." There it was again. My love. " You knew that it was a game. I had no intention of keeping you here. And all I have to say is that if your fiancé takes offence at a kiss, he is a prude who does not deserve you."  
  
I sighed and looked at the floor. It was I who didn't deserve Andrew. And as for Andrew being a prude... well... no, of course he wasn't. As if. Really, the thought. No way. I would react in the same way if I caught him with some-one he lusted after. But with one difference. I would be more violent. I would have gone in there and scratched the woman's eyes out. I would have torn her hair out. I would have... killed her. And all that if I had just seen him kiss her. Don't ask me what I would do if he did something other than kiss a woman.  
  
" He is not a prude. And it's me who doesn't deserve him." Pushing Darien away from the door, I turned the handle and pausing, said without looking back, "stay away from me. At least until I'm not as angry as I am now. And the only way that's going to happen is if Andrew forgives me."  
  
Darien didn't say anything, and good for him. 'cause I'm telling you, if he had opened his mouth and said a word, one word, I'd have killed him. Yeah yeah, so I'm threatening to kill every-one nowadays. But my threats are real. I do as I say. And though I couldn't have killed Darien without any weapons with me right now, I suppose I could have prayed that the 'looks can kill' applied to me.   
  
Slamming the door behind me, I made my way downstairs and out of the office building. I wouldn't be coming back here any time soon. You can count on that. Well, you now, at least until after a day or two when I have to go to work. But I can't really say that can I? It spoils the effect.  
  
***********************************************************   
  
As I unlocked the door to my apartment, I couldn't help wishing that Andrew was in there, waiting for me. Why had he come to Darien's office? I'd told him to stay at home. You think this was something like telling some-one not to look in a particular place and they just have to do it?  
  
Sighing, I slammed the door shut behind me. Who cared if it woke the neighbours? They couldn't do anything to hurt me. The men in my life had done that already.  
  
I stood in the hallway and thought about it. Should I or should I not, that is the question.... hmm. Yes I should. Going over to the phone, I rang Andrew's house. He didn't pick up. I let the phone ring for ages but still no-one. Well, except the answering machine. So Andrew most probably hadn't gone home after... seeing me.   
  
Where was he? I frowned as I thought about it. Maybe he was at Doug's but... I'll try Nes-café. Some people, when they're miserable like to be alone but others surround themselves with people. I didn't really know which category Andrew was in since he'd never been sad around me. That made me feel bad. Worse than I already felt.   
  
A woman's voice brought my attention to the phone I was clutching in a death grip in my hand. " Hello? Nes-café?"  
  
I recognised her immediately (Andrew and I were regular customers there, neither of us being very good at cooking). " Hey Rene! Is Andrew there?"  
  
There was silence for a while and I presumed that Rene had gone to check. Or maybe she was just sitting there, knowing the answer to my question yet letting me stew. Some people are like that. Just my bad luck that I knew most of them. Finally, just when I was about to hang up, she came back on. " No sorry. He's not here."  
  
She then cut the phone dead! Wow. Weren't the staff polite? Shaking my head, I replaced the receiver. I wasn't going to hunt around for Andrew all night. If he didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be.   
  
I peeked into the kitchen and decided against having something to eat. I just couldn't. I didn't feel like it and I had the feeling that I would be sick if anything passed my lips. So I went to my room and changed into my pyjamas. My black ones, which Andrew always said-  
  
Tears crept unbidden into my eyes. No. I wasn't going to think about him. I'd sleep on it. I needed to sleep to handle anything. Lack of sleep was making me unusually emotional. That's fine with some people. You know. They can cry when they're alone. But not me. I'm not a softie. And I never ever cry... never. Well, usually.  
  
**********  
  
Do I need to say it? Oh alright. Please review. Just press the button you can see right now and right a few words of your thoughts. It will be much appreciated.  
  
Rosegalaxia  
  
rosegalaxia@yahoo.com 


End file.
